Korean Job Discussion Forums

Zark

Before spending the big bucks and running off to Osaka, et al. - you might want to double check with your local immigration office.

A new German professor at my univeristy was all set to do the visa run - and immigration (Cheongju) was able to switch her over to an E1 here - without the visa run. They cited "new rules" that allowed them to do it.

Other than that I have no info - but it might be worth checking for those in the process.

Cross posted in the Osaka visa run sticky

animalbirdfish · Joined: 04 Feb 2004

But would that apply to the E-2 visa? Worth checking, but the E-2 seems to have a litany of rules unto itself.

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

I've been here 6 years on an E2 & I've changed employers & I've never done a visa run.

Can be done if your local immigration office is agreeable.

Zark · Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2005 12:58 am Post subject:

My apologies for not being clear. The visa change was from a tourist visa to an E1 - not from one employer to another.

E2? - don't know.

plato's republic · Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Location: Ancient Greece

Schwa,

How on earth did you manage to stay here for 6 years and change jobs (on an E-2 visa I imagine) without having to do a visa-run? What does one have to do in order to achieve this? I'd like to know.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

casey's moon · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: Daejeon

I've never done a visa run in 5 years, during which time I've changed employers three times, changed my visa from an E-2 to a D-4 (I think that's the student one) to an F-2. When I did the E-2 to student visa change some officials tried to tell me that I needed to do a visa run, but in the end it turned out it was unnecessary.

I can't explain how -- just by asking around until I got the answer I wanted, I guess.

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Hanson · Joined: 20 Oct 2004

The Beav had told me about this 'no-visa-run' possibility before I changed jobs last year, yet through multiple phone calls to immigration, I was told that NOBODY gets to change jobs without a visa run. I knew otherwise, and pointed it out to them, but they said it was impossible, even though I knew otherwise.

Like Schwa says; I guess it depends on who you talk to and where...

teachmeenglish · Joined: 14 Dec 2004

Well, I'm one of those who changed jobs on an E2 and did it in country. No visa run.

However, this idea of a tourist to E-something sounds cool, and fits with the other changes that are said to begin today. Lets hope!!

rvintage · Joined: 05 Jul 2005

I also changed jobs with no visa run. It is possible if you talk to the right guy. I went with my new director and a release letter. No problem.

matesol · Joined: 23 Jan 2003

I changed jobs from one university to another as well. Old E-2 visa transferred to the new university. I didn't have to leave. They said they can do this for universitiies, but are hesitant to do it for hagwans. (I'm not trying to huff and puff that I work at a university. They really said this. Anyway, universities in Korea are not the ivory tour that everyone thinks they are.)

If they told you, it's impossible, I think they're BSing you because they don't want to do it.

ontheway · Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 10:28 am Post subject:

I think it works to change from one job to another while you're still under the original contract. Then you extend your time under the new contract. This would explain the post from Schwa who changed seamlessly.

Anyway, I changed employers before expiration of my old contract and then extended under my new contract. No visa run.